


New Year's Eve

by secretsidgenowriter



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, M/M, New Year's Eve, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24184192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretsidgenowriter/pseuds/secretsidgenowriter
Summary: “Looks good on you.”Sid nearly drops the broom and from behind the bar Geno chuckles.Sid had forgotten about him, lost in the monontity of his own task. Geno doesn’t stay late often, but on particularly busy nights it takes him a while to inventory the liquor and count his tips. He always has plenty of tips.
Relationships: Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 80





	New Year's Eve

Sid moves slowly and methodically through the dining room, sweeping up and setting wayward drink menus upright on the tables.

He pulls out a chair at table twelve so he can sweep beneath it and finds a flannel scarf that was left behind during the dinner rush. He’ll put it in the lost and found in the back along with the hat and single glove he found earlier.

He tosses the scarf over his shoulder and continues sweeping. It’s been a long day and Sid’s been on his feet for most of it, running back and forth from the dining room to the kitchen and cleaning up is the last thing he wants to be doing but he gets paid until he clocks out and he needs all the money he can get.

“Looks good on you.”

Sid nearly drops the broom and from behind the bar Geno chuckles.

Sid had forgotten about him, lost in the monontity of his own task. Geno doesn’t stay late often, but on particularly busy nights it takes him a while to inventory the liquor and count his tips. He always has plenty of tips.

“I found it,” Sid says as he touches the scarf. “Someone left it.”

“Yes,” Geno says, leaning his forearms on the bar. “Been watching.”

Sid nods and goes back to sweeping. Geno always makes him feel like this, wrong footed and off balance. Geno’s a nice guy, very friendly and warm but he knows exactly how charming he is and he’s not afraid to lay it on thick. It makes for a really good bartender. It makes for an easy crush.

“I have to put it in the lost and found,” Sid says.

“Should just take.”

Sid’s head whips up, horrified, and Geno pokes his tongue against the side of his cheek. “That’s not funny,” Sid says but he drops his head to hide his smile.

“I’m know, would be stealing.” Geno says as he straightens up and continues to count his tips. “But should know, red is best color on you.”

Sid opens his mouth to mumble out an awkward thanks when he’s interrupted.

“Geno, are you almost ready to go?”

Ashley steps out of the backroom with her bag over her shoulder and a hat pulled down over her red hair. Sid sighs because he’s seen this at least a dozen times before.

Since he’s started here, Geno’s been working his way through the staff, taking a different waitress or waiter out each night. It’s a casual thing, clearly, and if there’s any jealousy Sid hasn’t seen it. Of course it’s possible that Sid’s reading too much into it. Maybe they’re not hooking up, maybe they’re just going out as friends. Geno is a friendly guy. Maybe he just wants to get to know his coworkers one on one in a completely professional and platonic sense.

“Almost,” Geno says, “talking to Sid.” He lifts his chin in Sid’s direction and Ashley’s eyes widen as she follows.

“Sid, god, I didn’t even know you were still here.”

“I’m just cleaning up,” Sid says, “almost done.”

“Oh,” Ashley says as Geno hurries along and pockets his portion of the tips and grabs his coat. Ashely smiles at him and tucks her fingers between his body and his belt and pulls him close, completely unplatonic.

“Can come with, Sid,” Geno says as he fiddles with the collar of his coat, “just going for drinks.”

Ashley’s face pinches like that wasn’t part of the plan.

“Thanks,” Sid says, “but it’s been a long day. I’m just gonna head home and go to bed.”

“You sure,” Geno asks and Ashley presses her lips together so tightly they almost disappear. Sid likes to think he doesn’t have any enemies at work but he feels like he’s about to make one.

“I’m sure,” he says. “You guys have fun.”

Ashley waves and starts for the door and Geno lingers behind for a moment, looking at Sid, before he finally turns and follows.

Sid waits until he hears the door close before he continues cleaning up all alone.

-

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is Sid’s least favorite time of the year.

The feeling of holiday magic has worn off and all that’s left is the worry and stress of the end of the old year and the start of a new one.

The only resolution Sid has is to keep his head above water financially so he works himself to the edge of exhaustion.

It will be worth it though, when he pays his rent without the tight feeling in his chest or buys groceries without the fear of his card getting declined.

The restaurant is only open until eleven on New Years Eve but by the time the last customer leaves it’s nearly midnight.

Geno’s working late again, frowning down at the inventory book like something doesn’t add up. Every so often he’ll tap his pen against the bar and make a little thinking noise like he’s figured it out only a groan a second later, still clearly confused.

Sid would offer to help but numbers were never his strong suit and the likelihood of messing up Geno even more is too great.

He wonders who Geno’s taking out tonight. He didn’t see anyone lingering alone in the breakroom and the only people in the kitchen are the night staff preparing for tomorrow’s brunch service. He guesses it’s unfair to rule any of those people out, but Geno will be waiting for a while for them to be finished, long after the New Year parties are over.

“Can hear you thinking — ah! Yes! There, stupid numbers. Finally get you.” Geno scribbles something down in the notebook and looks up at Sid, satisfied.

“Congratulations,” Sid says. “I was getting worried you were going to miss your New Year’s Eve party.”

Geno shakes his head. “No party tonight.”

“Oh. Well then you and your date — .”

“No date,” Geno says as he ducks beneath the bar and pulls out a square box wrapped in red paper. “Come here, got you something.”

Sid’s not sure where to start. “What do you mean you don’t have a date? You always have a date.” When Geno raises an eyebrow Sid’s quick to continue. “I didn’t mean that to sound judgy but … you always have a date.”

“Well, not tonight.” He pushes the box toward Sid. “Now come here, open.”

“You really didn’t have to do that,” Sid says as he slowly approaches the bar. “I didn’t get you anything.”

“Is not always about getting,” Geno says, “sometimes is just about giving. Now open. I’m excited.”

Sid carefully unwraps the paper as Geno bounces on his toes in front of him like a child.

“So slow,” Geno teases and Sid gives him a look as he moves at a glacial pace, taking the top off the box and pulling back the tissue paper.

Geno has gotten him a scarf, almost exactly like the one that Sid found the other night except this one is softer and cozier.

“I say it looks good on you,” Geno tells him, “so, should have.” He takes it out of Sid’s hands and loops it around Sid’s neck. It’s long enough to go around twice, comfortably, and Geno tugs at the ends to make them even before laying them down against Sid’s chest. “There,” he says, “looks perfect.”

Sid runs his hands over the fabric and lets himself feel cared for and special for a few moments before reality sets in.

“Is this what you do?” Sid asks as he starts to unwind the scarf. “Is this how you get people to go out with you? Not that I think you need an incentive or anything but if this is what you’re trying to do — .”

“Sid — .”

“I can’t do it. I can’t go out with you one night and then watch you go out with someone else the next. I can’t do casual like that. That’s fine if you can, I’m not judging, but I can’t. I couldn’t. So.” He hands the scarf back but Geno doesn’t take it, not even when Sid shakes it at him.

Instead, he gently wraps his fingers around Sid’s wrist and holds him. “Sid. Didn’t buy to get you to go out with me. Bought because I think you would like, because I already know I like you.”

Sid blinks at him. “What?”

“Already know I like, that’s why I don’t ask you out like I ask other people. Know you special.”

“That definitely sounds like a line.”

Geno winces. “I know, is bad. Is hard to talk to you.”

“You talk to me pretty much every single day.”

“About little things, not about big things.”

“This is a big thing?”

“Yes! Biggest! Don’t want one night with you, Sid. Don’t want to just hang out. Want more but is hard for me to ask, think maybe you say no so I just ask other people but nothing more ever happens because they not you and I just …” He trails off and exhales heavily through his nose. “Sorry, Sid.” He tries to take the scarf but now Sid won’t let go.

“Is that all true?”

Geno nods and sighs. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

Sid pulls on the scarf which pulls Geno closer so Sid can easily kiss him over the bar.

“I’ve had a crush on you since you started here,” Sid says when they break apart. “I didn’t think you were interested.”

Geno smiles. “Very, very interested.”

Sid’s about to lean in again when he hears shouts of Happy New Year coming from the kitchen and fireworks echoing from somewhere over the river.

“This seems like a pretty good way to start the New Year, eh?”

Geno presses his forehead to Sid’s and takes a deep, easy breath. “Best way.”


End file.
